Trap at Umbar Khind

By Madhukar Joshi

Up to this point, this series has focussed on
Shivaji's "human jewels" to illustrate his qualities as an inspirer of
human potential in all sections of the society at that time – providing
equal opportunities to demonstrate valor. However, it is also important
to recognize that Shivaji was not just a passive inspirer. Indeed, he was
an active leader who planned and participated in military campaigns when
necessary. This article illustrates that he chose his battles well, used
his very capable "intelligence" machinery wisely, and worked out all the
details prior to engaging his enemies. Because of this, his enemies were
always surprised. Both his supporters and enemies thought that Shivaji
had "magical powers".

To relate to what Shivaji and his budding nation must
have been going through, imagine yourself as
the leader of an emerging organization (a community group, a small company,
a department in a university, etc.) that is surrounded by rivals of immense
resources, capital and power who are waiting to "finish" your organization
at the next available opportunity.

Shivaji did not need to engage in such an exercise
of imagination! Kartalab Khan was the "right hand" of Shahiste Khan, the
General who was sent by Emperor Aurangazeb specifically to decimate the
budding nation of Shivaji and his followers. Shahiste Khan came fully equipped
with over 100,000 soldiers, cavalry, guns and experienced military strategists.
We have already met Shahiste Khan in the battle of Chaakan. Kartalab Khan
was a skilled army commander with years of battle experience. He did not
consider it important that most of his experience was in the relatively
flat lands of North Central India against opposing armies who participated
in the battles mostly because they were paid to do so. Kartalab's command
was reinforced with 20,000 troops, artillery pieces, horses and numerous
elephants.

Those of you who have traveled from Pune to Mumbai
will have a distinct advantage visualizing this story. To reach Umbar Khind
from Pune, Kartalab traveled via Chinchvad, Talegaon, Vadagaon and Malavali
(roughly parallel to the present railway line). At that point, he turned
left towards Lohagad (a fort on the border of the Deccan plateau and Kokan).
His army began the descent into Kokan area through the narrow pass that
separates Lohagad from Visagad. His plan: descend into Tungaranya (a dense
forest with hills on both sides), ascend some distance to Umbar Khind (pass)
and then descend into Kokan proper. It is worth noting that when the British
built the railroad between Mumbai and Pune, they chose go through Khandala
Ghat and not via Umbar Khind. Why? Khandala Ghat, also known as BorGhat,
is much more open and broad than Umbar Khind. It is much less subject to
surprise attacks. Initially, Khan was planning to descend through BorGhat.
Had he done so, Shivaji would have a much harder battle on his hands.

So, why did Kartalab chose to pass through Umbar Khind?
The simplest answer is that Shivaji forced him to do that by ensuring that
Kartalab knew that Shivaji was at the base of this Khind! This was the
first important milestone in Shivaji's strategy. Khan was planning a secret
campaign but Shivaji's spies were far more skillful. Khan had heard that
Shivaji and his army would be at Kurawanda – roughly 3 miles from Lonavala.
When Khan reached Kurawanda, there was no sign of Shivaji or his army.
His spies brought the news (!) that Shivaji was at Pen – at the base of
the Ghat. Naturally, Khan chose to quickly descend this mountain pass and
launch a surprise attack on Shivaji. Khan was traveling in February when
most rivers in Konkan area are dry or nearly so. It is difficult to fight
a battle unless you import a large supply of drinking water.

Unknown to Kartalab Khan, Shivaji and his army were
already in the hills that surrounded the UmbarKhind – ready and waiting
for Khan and his army to descend to the base of the pass. They were equipped
with rocks and boulders in addition to the usual rifles, bow & arrows
as well as sabers. How large was this army? About 1,000 strong. This entire
pass was covered with dense forest and so, Shivaji's army was not visible
to Khan and his army. The trap was now set for Khan. Khan and his army
climbed down to the base in about 4 hours and met no resistance whatsoever.
As his army moved down, Shivaji and some of his men reached the top of
the pass. In short, unknown to him, Khan was now completely trapped. As
soon as Khan reached the base of the pass, Shivaji's army began the battle
with the help of rolling boulders! Since Shivaji's army was on top of the
hills, Khan and his army were in effect fighting an invisible army. Nor
could they retreat as a portion of Shivaji's army and Shivaji himself were
waiting at the top of the mountain pass. In 2-3 hours at most, the battle
was over!

Khan had no choice but to surrender and beg for a
safe passage. Shivaji's small army of 1,000 had trapped and defeated a
well-equipped army of 20,000! Shivaji agreed to let Khan and his army leave
Umbar Khind and return to Khan's home base in Pune provided that:

Shivaji and his assistants inspected each person to ensure
that they had followed the terms of the truce. Once Khan's army had left
the battle area, Shivaji's army spent the rest of that day collecting,
classifying and packing all items. Then they moved back towards RajGad.

DiscussionWhy did Shivaji let go Khan, his lieutenants and
his army? Why did not he capture and / or destroy them all? Once again,
it shows that Shivaji was more than just a warrior or an accomplished military
planner. He was also a diplomat and a strategist with vision. Though Khan
and his army were trapped, they were 20,000 versus Shivaji's 1,000. If
'pushed into a corner', it is very likely that they might have engaged
in a fierce battle out of sheer desperation. Such a battle could have unforeseen
and possibly disastrous outcomes. In this regard, Shivaji acted similarly
to President John F. Kennedy after the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Besides, Shivaji was well aware that many of the soldiers
fighting on behalf of Khan had been doing it for money and not for their
belief in Khan's cause. Given a choice, they would (and did) join Shivaji.
Quite a few got 'converted' to his cause. This is also in keeping with
the counsel of Arya Chanakya, the well-known advisor of Chandra Gupta Maurya,
the founder of the Maurya dynasty and a forefather of Emperor Ashoka. In
the words of Chanakya, it is not any more advisable to be forever aggressive
than to be a constant forgiver.

Choosing the right battles, having reliable "intelligence",
and detailed planning – these qualities are just as relevant today as they
were then. The world is full of conflicts – between nations, between corporations,
and between religions (which were presumably initiated to promote peace!)
Even Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King had to use similar skills when
they were "waging their battles" against foreign domination and social
inequality!

Though
elephants possess vast destructive capabilities, history has shown repeatedly
that they are worse than useless in the battles where swiftness is paramount
to success. Nonetheless, for some strange reason, many warriors throughout
the middle ages continued to employ them – presumably as status symbols!

To
appreciate the difficulty of this route, it will be useful to note that
the top of this pass is some 2,200 feet above sea-level, the base of Tungaranya
is roughly at 500 feet, the mountain pass of Umbar Khind is some 300 feet
up from there and finally, Khan and his army would be descending into Konkan
proper! And that base is surrounded on all sides by hills. None of this
poses a problem if you were to go hiking, but KartalabKhan and his army
were planning to fight a decisive battle with Shivaji – an expert at traversing
the mountains and passes of Sahyadri!

Some
of the President's advisors wanted to 'totally defeat' the Soviet Navy
in and around Cuba. Kennedy did not do that.